Hello ya'll and thank you in advance. I have moved into an old house and found a quart of this wonderful paint (Lt. Saddle Metallic color) in the cupboard. I have not opened it up but it has been used and the metallic color has dripped down the side. It is about 3/4 full.

I have some metal porch supports that have been painted white. There is an inset in the support that is from the 50's I think -- these viney roses and leaves panel with open fretwork. I would love to paint this small section using this paint. But I've been reading that (a) it calls for other 'agents' to be added and (b) this paint is usually used on vehicles.

Can I use it straight out of the can (without using an added agent), with either a sponge or paint brush and just paint it on my fretwork? I will be painting outside and will have a very small brush and will keep the paint can far away from my nose. I'm not too concerned about the drying time because no one else will be touching it while it dries. Will I keel over because of toxic fumes? Am I jeopardizing my health in any way? Do I have to worry about it touching my skin? If I live few thru the first few questions, will it stick ok?

yes, it will work well. just make sure that your work is sanded good. acrylic enamel is compatible with lacquers, so if that is what is on there now, it will hold up fine.. hardners aide in UV protection as well as make the paint harder, so if it is sunny, you might consider getting some hardner.. walk into a Napa that still deals with paints, and pick up a bottle of hardner. it will cost about $15, and as far as a mix ratio, a 'splash' in a 4 cup measuring cup will be close enough for your purposes.. it's not going to get the same wear and tear as a car would, so you don't have to be as accurate

paint in a well ventilated area, and use a cartridge mask if you have 1. otherwise, just make sure your work area is well ventilated.. hardner contains isoscynates, which are not good to breathe, but the problems are more apparent when the paint is sprayed as it is designed to. rolling/ brushing it, really shouldn't cause an issue as the iso's won't be in true suspension in the air..

Thank you so much, Matt. I do have an additional question -- I really don't intend on sanding. The metal roses/leaves are not flat at all -- all kinds of raised texture to both of these. The paint is very old and almost a chalky white -- not shiny at all. Do you think I can get away with using this new paint without sanding?

The best way to do this is to take the railing off. Sand blast or bead blast and powder coat or prime/paint. Replace railing.
This way, you do not have to sand, the surface is clean, and it will last many years. Powder coat will last far longer than the paint - thats why I mentioned it. Good luck!

The best way to do this is to take the railing off. Sand blast or bead blast and powder coat or prime/paint.

I would have a real hard time not doing that. But I know it's largely an overkill with something like this. After working with cars for all my life and seeing the difference sandblasting, epoxy primer and paint can do to "hard parts" like suspension components I would have a very hard time not doing this. If the railing has lots of detail it would really make it come alive to have it blasted and spray painted nice.

This is all of course IF we are talking about some cast iron railing, we still don't know what it is made out of.

To brush it on over that faded out old house paint will likely still last a heck of a lot longer than any house paint and probably stick pretty well, maybe. That is a big chance you are taking, after all that work to have it come peeling off would suck.

And brushing it on opens up another problem, trapped solvents. I have found that if applied too heavy even with a spray gun with poor atomization that old acrylic enamel will remain soft or not dry on the surface for quite some time.

And for goodness sakes RESPECT how dangerous this stuff is. While drying the solvents evaporating off can be very harmful! I learned this lesson when I painted some shelves with the exact same paint for a store. I just about sent the whole staff to the hospital! If you paint it outside of course that makes all the difference in the world. But if you front door were open or windows open the house WILL be full of the solvents from that paint. If you are painting just small areas like the size of a lunch box, it isn't that big of a deal. But if you painted the whole railing or something that is a whole different story.

Don't be freaked out, it isn't THAT dangerous there are people who would spray a complete car without a mask and with a little air movement they would do it. This would be VERY STUPID and harming them, but I have seen people spray the stuff without proper protection for years. I am just trying to put this into perspective. Yes it's dangerous but it isn't like breathing in chlorine gas or something that is going to KNOCK YOU OUT in one breath. Brushing the stuff on in a small area outside with a little breeze is no big deal. Just RESPECT it and you will be ok.

If you get it on your hands, it won't wash off. You should have some latex gloves on to eliminate any contact. It won't be dangerous per se but it WON'T come off very easy.

Jennifer, if this stuff is cast iron and you want to make a BIG difference out on your porch, do have it sand blasted and painted or powder coated. "Powder coating" is a very special coating that is applied and baked and really a durable and usable in minutes out of the oven. You remove the pieces and hand them to a powder coater and they sand blast and paint and hand them back to you and you bolt them back on. Done, no working with the paint, and they are KICK BUTT durable.

Something to think about. I have a powder coater that I brought car parts to and had him do my old Iron bed and it turned out great. This was twenty five years ago and there isn't one single mark on it still to this day.
They have a wide variety of colors so they can do just about anything you want. I did my bed in a pastel green color.

Just a thought, if you want to go the extra mile that would be a good option. To just brush your paint on these small areas is fine as well. If it does peel off or something, then you can pull them off and have them powder coated maybe? Just a thought, either way you have some fun.

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